THEY ARE EATING AND DRINKING THE TITHE!
Today I want to talk about the First Tithe mentioned and therefore the most important of the three tithes commanded in Scripture.
If you have never heard of it, then you are probably missing out on this tithe of thanksgiving. The word tithe means 10%, to those of us in the USA or Canada that is a dime donated for every dollar earned (our modern equivalent to the biblical 'harvest').
The Feast of the Lord Tithe. I first heard about it in my mid-twenties over a dinner table. Beyond this dinner conversation, I had never heard this taught in any gatherings I had attended over the last 50 years. After that dinner, I went home and looked it up in Scripture and sure enough, it was there, laid out as plainly the other two 'lesser' tithes we hear about all the time.
The FEASTs of the LORD tithe was to be brought into the presence of the Lord three times a year, at the 'set' times. Here is the Scripture reference for it.
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. Deuteronomy 14:22-23
The second tithe was for the Levites (Church staff members) and the widows and orphans (the benevolence fund) this tithe was to be collected every third year.
The third tithe is mentioned in another passage it is the tithe the Levites gave to the priestly order, in our world this could be the extra local leaders in a denomination or apostolic network, missionaries, etc.
This first tithe is unfamiliar to us because we have lost the context of the Lord's Feasts and therefore we do not understand its importance. Because we assume it no longer applies to us, it is never discussed in bible schools or seminaries, and I would guess you have never heard a conference covering the three tithes. However, it is a thanksgiving tithe, thanksgiving at every harvest not just after all the harvest has come in like our traditional Thanksgiving holiday. We have the Scripture that says 'enter his courts with thanksgiving' so, without thanksgiving, we are not truly entering His courts.
Because the church was divorced from the Feasts of the Lord by the Roman Emporer and his Roman church we have lost the connection. even if it is discovered it may seem preposterous to us due to the Puritan belief that God is against the physical enjoyment of eating and drinking. Combined with a religious culture that chooses to ignore the 'Feasts of the Lord' because they are considered to be "Jewish" even though they are clearly connected prophetically to the New Covenant Church.
Have you ever had this thought? God doesn't want us to have fun?
Where do you think that lie came from?
Well, here's Scriptural evidence that that is a lie from the enemy,.
God commands you to have fun (in His Presence) eat, drink, and rejoice in His Presence!
It has been said, First revelation, then interpretation, and finally application.
and Revelation without application brings frustration.
Revelation.
The FEASTs of the LORD tithe was to be brought into the presence of the Lord three times a year, at the set times. Here is the Scripture reference for it.
Interpretation.
God is a good Father and he wants to see his kids enjoy His blessing, in His presence so He can enjoy their rejoicing in His abundant goodness.
This was so important to our Father in Heaven that he tied it to every 'harvest' (of food) and He set up the feasts at 'set times' to match those harvests and He commanded every male 20 yrs and older to show up for these national gatherings to dance (twirl in a circle) and to rejoice with much food and drink. This would not be embraced in a Puritan church nor in most of our churches today. But it is because we missed an important character element of our heavenly Father.
Have you ever helped out at a Salvation Army Thanksgiving dinner? That is perhaps the closest thing to a 'harvest' feast that we have in our modern society.
Have you ever invited someone to your Thanksgiving dinner ('harvest' party) who could not pay you back?
Now you are getting even closer to the target.
What if you also gathered with other families and you sang and danced and worshipped the Lord for seven full days?
Are you getting the picture?
Application of the "Feasts of the Lord" tithe.
So how can we do this today?
Not all the feasts are seven days so...
So 30,000/yr. income x .1 (tithe means tenth) = $3,000/16 feast days = $187.50/feast day.
60K would be double that or $375/feast day
90K would be three times or $562/feast day
Let's say you spent this figure on your favorite foods and your favorite drinks.
How long would it take your household to consume it all? _________
If you had to eat it all within seven days would you be able to? Yes or No
If you were rich you would have abundance and if you were poor you wouldn't have enough. But since it all had to be consumed within seven days in the presence of the Lord; during these three seasons of the year, the ultra-rich and the ultra-poor ate at a common table. Your food is my food and my food is your food. Sounds like a week-long love feast* doesn't it?
That causes the Father's heart to leap with joy because that is the character of our Heavenly Father... in His presence is the fullness of Joy. and He is no respecter of persons.
Think about that!
The closest possible thing we have that touches this principle is our pot luck dinners, but they don't continue one for seven days, 21 meals! And I can guess you have never spent $187.50 on what you brought to your last pot luck dinner.
So, are you a tither?
Where do you think that lie came from?
Well, here's Scriptural evidence that that is a lie from the enemy,.
God commands you to have fun (in His Presence) eat, drink, and rejoice in His Presence!
It has been said, First revelation, then interpretation, and finally application.
and Revelation without application brings frustration.
Revelation.
The FEASTs of the LORD tithe was to be brought into the presence of the Lord three times a year, at the set times. Here is the Scripture reference for it.
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.Convert the 'tithe' to Silver if long distance does not permit bringing the 'harvest' with you
But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose.
Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat (it) there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.It sounds like a command "you shall eat it there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice".
Interpretation.
God is a good Father and he wants to see his kids enjoy His blessing, in His presence so He can enjoy their rejoicing in His abundant goodness.
This was so important to our Father in Heaven that he tied it to every 'harvest' (of food) and He set up the feasts at 'set times' to match those harvests and He commanded every male 20 yrs and older to show up for these national gatherings to dance (twirl in a circle) and to rejoice with much food and drink. This would not be embraced in a Puritan church nor in most of our churches today. But it is because we missed an important character element of our heavenly Father.
Have you ever helped out at a Salvation Army Thanksgiving dinner? That is perhaps the closest thing to a 'harvest' feast that we have in our modern society. Have you ever invited someone to your Thanksgiving dinner ('harvest' party) who could not pay you back?
Now you are getting even closer to the target.
What if you also gathered with other families and you sang and danced and worshipped the Lord for seven full days?
Are you getting the picture?
Application of the "Feasts of the Lord" tithe.
So how can we do this today?
- We could gather together at the set times of the three feasts in the presence of the Lord and eat, drink, and rejoice together.
- We could sing, we could dance in a circle, we could worship and thank the Lord for his abundant blessings.
- take 10% of our financial 'Harvest' from the first quarter for the Spring Feasts of Passover/unleavened bread/firstfruits and spend it on food, drink, decorations, etc. invite unbelievers, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
- take 10% of our financial 'Harvest' from the second quarter for the Feast of Weeks Wheat firstfruits and spend it on food, drink, decorations, etc. invite unbelievers, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
- take 10% of our financial 'Harvest' from the third quarter for the Fall Feasts Wine, tree nuts, olives, and tree fruits Harvest and spend it on food, drink, decorations, etc. invite unbelievers, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
- We could set aside this 10% to sponsor conferences where Jesus will be lifted up and where we will be reminded of all the good things our father has done for us.
Okay let's put this in perspective: If you obeyed this commandment, and took a full 10% of your annual income as a tithe, let's say conservatively with a 30K annual household income: a tithe of $3,000 spread out over the three feasts each year.
- We can spend our tithe on lodging, food, and drink to attend these spiritual gatherings that feed us spiritually.
Not all the feasts are seven days so...
- Passover/Unleavened bread is (7) days*
- Pentecost (weeks) takes place on one (1) day
- 'Trumpets' take place on one (1) day
- Day of Atonement is a FAST day (no Food or Water)
- Tabernacles is (7) days
So 30,000/yr. income x .1 (tithe means tenth) = $3,000/16 feast days = $187.50/feast day.
60K would be double that or $375/feast day
90K would be three times or $562/feast day
Let's say you spent this figure on your favorite foods and your favorite drinks.
How long would it take your household to consume it all? _________
If you had to eat it all within seven days would you be able to? Yes or No
If you were rich you would have abundance and if you were poor you wouldn't have enough. But since it all had to be consumed within seven days in the presence of the Lord; during these three seasons of the year, the ultra-rich and the ultra-poor ate at a common table. Your food is my food and my food is your food. Sounds like a week-long love feast* doesn't it?
That causes the Father's heart to leap with joy because that is the character of our Heavenly Father... in His presence is the fullness of Joy. and He is no respecter of persons.
Think about that!
The closest possible thing we have that touches this principle is our pot luck dinners, but they don't continue one for seven days, 21 meals! And I can guess you have never spent $187.50 on what you brought to your last pot luck dinner.
So, are you a tither?
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Various writings from the past
The Road Not Taken
At Home In MN
Great to read it as I have had the awesome privilege of hearing you share about this wonderful Biblical Principle on the Tithes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting it into print!
Great Stuff!!!!